Nets Take First Meeting of New York City Teams

The Knicks and Nets squared off in Brooklyn for the first time on Monday night.Credit
Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

New York turned on itself Monday night, its basketball loyalties divided and contorted and scattered about, its sanity tested and every breath exhausted until one word reverberated in the air.

“Broook-lynnn.”

The chants signaled the start of a new rivalry and the official arrival of the Nets, who ground through four quarters and an overtime to take a 96-89 victory over the Knicks at Barclays Center, in the first N.B.A. game between two New York City teams.

Momentum swung wildly all night, every big play accompanied by a strange blend of competing chants and cheers from a divided crowd. But as the final minutes ticked down, the Nets found their footing and their fans got the final word, a prolonged and emphatic chant: “Broook-lynnn.”

It was only one game, as every Nets player quickly noted, but the atmosphere signaled a permanent change in New York’s basketball ecosystem. It was never like this in New Jersey.

“It’s just a total 180 from what we saw last year, where it was mostly Knicks fans and all the chants and all the cheers were for them,” Deron Williams said. “It’s great to feel that we have that home-court advantage finally.”

The victory carried symbolic value for the Nets, but also some practical worth. At 9-4, they moved into a tie with the Knicks atop the Atlantic Division. They have not shared first place this late in a season since Nov. 30, 1997. That was two arenas and one state ago for the Nets.

“There are no parades,” Coach Avery Johnson said. “There are no trophies right now. It’s still early. But at the same time, this is a step in the right direction.”

The Nets have not held a share of first with at least 13 games played since Nov. 26, 2006. That was also the last season they made the playoffs.

The Nets have now won six straight at home, the last three with bruising, timely defense, with two of those victories coming against elite offensive teams, the Knicks and the Los Angeles Clippers. Aside from Chandler, who dunked his way to 28 points and a 12-for-13 shooting night, the Knicks were awful offensively.

Raymond Felton went 3 for 19, Rasheed Wallace 2 for 11 and J. R. Smith 2 for 7. Anthony, Brooklyn-born but Baltimore-raised, celebrated his first professional game in his home borough with 35 points, but he shot 11 for 25 and was just 2 for 9 in the fourth period and overtime.

“I’m upset right now at myself,” Felton said. “I was getting to the basket. I just couldn’t hit anything.”

Photo

Tyson Chandler dunking over the Nets’ Brook Lopez, left, and Gerald Wallace at Barclays Center.Credit
Barton Silverman/The New York Times

Anthony missed an 8-footer in the final seconds of regulation and a driving layup in overtime. Coach Mike Woodson called it fatigue, and his players did not disagree.

“I’m not saying we ran out of gas,” Felton said, “but it seemed like they got an extra boost that we didn’t have.”

The Nets scored 8 straight points in overtime — including a 3-pointer from Stackhouse and 3 straight points from Wallace — to take a 92-86 lead with 2 minutes 20 seconds left. Williams put the finishing touches on the game with two free throws with 30.1 seconds left, accompanied by a booming “M.V.P.” chant.

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The Nets had an 81-76 lead with 3:57 left in regulation, but the Knicks stormed back with an 8-0 run, capped by Chandler’s thundering putback dunk. Lopez tied the game with a free throw with 24.1 seconds, but he missed his second foul shot.

These teams had met 167 times before, across 36 N.B.A. seasons, in New Jersey and Nassau and arenas in between, but never as intracity rivals. This was different, and every soul in the building knew it.

The Knicks have the rich history, the deep roots and the broad fan base. The Nets have a borough, and aspirations to chip away at the Knicks’ market dominance.

“I think it’s just as important for them,” Johnson said of the Knicks, “because if we’re so much the new kid on the block and we’re trying to come in and gain some territorial rights, I think they’re going to try to do everything they can to push back.”

The Knicks made their first trip across the East River without Jason Kidd, the stabilizing force of their lineup, who stayed home because of back spasms.

The vibe could best be described as confused — a clash of conflicting emotions and colors and chants. Dots of orange and blue peeked through a sea of black and white. The Nets got the biggest, loudest roars — but the taunts directed at them were loud and forceful and unmistakable.

The arena percolated with chants of “Broook-lyn.” Then an “M.V.P.” chant for Anthony. Then boos for the “M.V.P.” chant. Nets fans mocked Chandler with a chorus of “overrated.” Knicks fans serenaded Rasheed Wallace with chants of “Sheeeed.”

Even ex-Knicks and ex-Nets were caught up in the moment. Charles Oakley and Jayson Williams wagered a dinner on the game, via their Twitter accounts. The game drew its share of celebrities, Richard Gere, Charlie Rose, Jay-Z and Beyoncé among them.

For the history-minded, there was this footnote: The game marked the first contest between New York and Brooklyn since Sept. 8, 1957, when the Dodgers last played the Giants at the Polo Grounds.

For those more concerned with the here and now, there was plenty of resonance, too. Indeed, New York’s teams could be battling for division supremacy and playoff seeding for the next five months.

“We still have to play them three more times and maybe the playoffs,” Williams said. “So we can’t be excited like we won a championship. We didn’t win the championship of New York.”

REBOUNDS

Andray Blatche is enjoying a career revival in Brooklyn, and a heavy dose of schadenfreude. The Nets were battling for first place Monday, while the Washington Wizards — who waived Blatche this summer — fell to 0-12. “Anybody seen how the Wizards are doing?” Blatche playfully asked reporters before the game. He added, “Have they won yet?” After Josh Childress shook his head ruefully, Blatche turned and said: “It’s time for chapel. We got to pray for the Wizards.” ... Knicks guard Ronnie Brewer dislocated the ring finger on his left hand in the fourth quarter and did not return. X-rays were negative, and he is listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game at Milwaukee.

A version of this article appears in print on November 27, 2012, on Page B10 of the New York edition with the headline: A Rivalry Comes To Life. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe